Ex-Miss Turkey acquitted over tweet on coup victims

FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 file photo, Itir Esen, 18, smiles after being crowned Miss Turkey 2017 in Istanbul. A court has acquitted on Thursday, May 3, 2018 the former beauty queen of charges of "insulting" the victims of a failed 2016 coup over a Twitter posting that had caused uproar. Esen was stripped of her Miss Turkey 2017 title and was later charged with insulting a section of the public for the tweet she posted as the country held memorials marking the failed coup. (AP Photo, File)

ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish court has acquitted a former beauty queen of charges of "insulting" the victims of the country's failed 2016 coup in a Twitter post.

Itir Esen was stripped of her Miss Turkey 2017 title and charged with insulting a section of the public for the tweet she posted as the country held memorials marking the failed coup.

The tweet, which was later erased, read: "I got my period on the morning of the July 15 martyrs' day. I'm marking the day by bleeding as a representation of the martyrs' blood."

Esen had denied intention to insult the victims.

The court acquitted her on Thursday citing "insufficient elements" for a crime.

Her title was given to the runner-up who went on to represent Turkey in China.